The present invention is directed to a vehicle security partition for an automotive vehicle in which the partition has a bi-directional recessed housing that allows the driver seat to be fully adjustable, while also providing leg room enough to allow a passenger in the rear seating area to sit upright with feet on the vehicle floorboard.
In law enforcement situations, it is often necessary for apprehended individuals or prisoners to be transported from one location to another. Typically for transport, the apprehended individual or prisoner is placed in the rear passenger seat of the law enforcement vehicle. To safely confine a person in the rear seat and to protect front seat occupants in the vehicle, security partitions have been devised which separate the rear seating area from the front seating area. Such partitions generally protect the front seat occupants from any disruptive behavior created by the individual riding in the rear passenger seat and securely hold the individual in the vehicle's rear passenger compartment to inhibit escape.
Such barriers are typically retrofitted into standard vehicle models that are used by law enforcement as police cars. Many vehicles that are currently used for law enforcement have a small amount of space in the rear seating area making it difficult for a rear seat passenger to sit comfortably and rest their feet on the floorboard of the vehicle. When additional electronic equipment is added to a law enforcement vehicle, the amount of available space in the interior compartment decreases. Also, with a security partition installed in a vehicle, the available leg room decreases even more, making it difficult for a prisoner housed in the rear seating area to sit comfortably and position his or her feet on the floorboard.
Additionally, prior art partitions can adversely affect the adjustability of the driver seat by reducing the distance that the seat can be adjusted in the backward direction. With adjustability of the driver seat compromised, a taller driver can experience the lack of adequate leg room to safely and comfortably operate the vehicle.
The present invention is drawn to a vehicle security partition having a bi-directional recessed housing that comprises part of the lower section of the partition's barrier. The bi-directional recessed housing makes full use of the space in the vehicle's interior compartment, which allows the driver seat to adjust to the full back position, provides an expanded leg room area in the rear seating area and provides a secure area for storing equipment.